South Africa’s opposition to U.S., UK interference is a risk worth taking
There is an old adage that states, “politics make strange bedfellows.” South Africa’s upcoming May 29 national elections don’t beg to differ. Out of the not-so-clear blue, the United Kingdom (UK), members of the United States Congress, and the head of the Oppenheimer family founded Brenthurst Foundation have donated millions of dollars to the opposition—including the Democratic Alliance (DA),...
West African nation stages protests against U.S. military presence
Organizers praised Niger’s rulers for diversifying ties with nations, including Russia, that respect the state’s sovereignty Thousands of demonstrators, including government officials, rallied in Niger’s capital, Niamey, demanding the withdrawal of the U.S. Army from the West African nation, which kicked French troops out last year. The protests took place in support of the Nigerien military government’s decision on March 16...
Modern capitalism encourages debt that Africa can never repay
Debt as a form of imperialism went global, as mentioned in David Graeber’s 2011 book “Debt: The First 5,000 Years.” He frames the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as the world’s debt enforcers or “The high-finance equivalent of the guys who come to break your legs.” In his book, Graeber explained how modern-day capitalism encourages the debt that underdeveloped Global...
A Dubai company’s staggering land deals in Africa raise fears about risks to Indigenous livelihoods
ABUJA, Nigeria—Matthew Walley’s eyes sweep over the large forest that has sustained his Indigenous community in Liberia for generations. Even as the morning sun casts a golden hue over the canopy, a sense of unease lingers. Their use of the land is being threatened, and they have organized to resist the possibility of losing their livelihood. In the past year,...
Zimbabwe launches ‘gold’ currency to replace dollar
Zimbabwe has introduced a new national currency aimed at stabilizing the economy and countering the devaluation of the local dollar in the southern African nation. Harare has also appealed to the United Nations for $2 billion in aid to help with food insecurity. The “structured currency”—Zimb Gold (ZiG)—will be anchored mainly on gold and foreign currency reserves, Zimbabwe’s Reserve Bank...
Namibia still fighting for reparations from Germany
In March, the Turkish parliament speaker thanked Namibia for its international stance in condemning Israel’s genocide atrocities in Gaza. “I would like to express that as the Turkish nation, we greatly appreciate Namibia’s stance in the international arena against the ongoing atrocities, which have reached the level of genocide, perpetrated by Israel in Gaza for nearly six months,” Numan...
Is South Africa prepared to embrace a coalition government?
As South Africans approach their upcoming national elections, scheduled for May 29—some with reservations—a plethora of critical issues loom large over the country’s political landscape. One that is getting a lot of attention is whether Africa’s most influential nation-state is possibly prepared to embrace coalition governance on a national scale. According to the South African news site Isolezwe, more...
Senegal’s president-elect pledges to fight corruption
DAKAR, Senegal—Senegal woke up March 26 to a new president-elect, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a former tax inspector and political newcomer who inspired voters, including many unemployed youth, with a vow to fight corruption and reform the economy. Mr. Faye, 44, was catapulted into the presidential campaign when he was backed by the popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who had been barred...
South Africa’s Naledi Pandor visits the U.S. and Jamaica
Dr. Naledi Pandor is South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. From March 18-26, she embarked on a working visit to the U.S. and Jamaica. During her visit, she was scheduled to engage in high-level discussions with various stakeholders, including members of Congress. She also addressed a reception in honor of anti-apartheid activists and the South African diaspora,...
Historical roots and ties of apartheid and colonialism
According to the Financial Times, South Africa has a population of nearly 50,000 Jews, the majority of whom are Ashkenazi. The country has a history of Zionist Jews that supported South African apartheid but also has a history of anti-apartheid, anti-Zionist Jews, including Koni Benson, a member of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, and Andrew Feinstein, a...